


Mash-ups and Mix-ups

by dawnheart



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Birthday Party, Christophe's Birthday, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Party, Social Media, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 17:51:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13932189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnheart/pseuds/dawnheart
Summary: It's Christophe's birthday! So of course, it's the perfect backdrop for JJ and Otabek to get together.





	Mash-ups and Mix-ups

JJ did what he always did in class, which was stare  at Otabek. (And in classes that he didn't share with Otabek, he thought about the next class he had with him.)

And normally he was content to gaze longingly. Nothing made him happier. It was right up there with nailing every note in a song he was covering, or someone from school recognizing him from his YouTube channel. It was what made life worthwhile.

Except right now, it was kind of pissing him off, only because Otabek was staring at Mila—a cool girl. But maybe too cool…  

“So, Otabek, being the cruel rascal he is,” Mila said, clearly about to launch into a story.

“Rascal?” JJ interrupted.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

“Otabek?” he cried dramatically (he was always ready to work a crowd). “My Otabek? Anything but dignified and stoic? I don’t believe it.”

“I mean, if you let me finish the story, you would see,” Mila said so sweetly that JJ wondered if she was actually mad. He gestured for her to go on.

“Anyway,” Mila continued, “We did all the classics: post it note under the mouse, post it notes all over the desks, flipping over all desks.”

“Y’all were children,” Leo said, shaking his head.

“Yes,” Mila said with emphasis. “We were.”

“You flipped over all the desks?” Guang Hong asked in awe.

“Yeah. We had to flip them all back though.”

“We didn’t do that much,” Otabek protested with a grumble.

“We did do that much.” Mila corrected. “I mean, everything we did was amazing.”

Otabek looked at her, unimpressed (though was that a subtler fondness underneath, or was he reading too much into things?) “We mostly just tried to jump-scare him a lot,” he pointed out.

“And don’t forget making weird videos play when he turned on his computer,” Mila grinned. Then she sighed with a slump, smiling into the . “Good times.”

“Those are all lame,” Leo said.

“You’re lame,” Mila rolled her eyes.

Leo leaned back in his chair, stretched out his legs in front of him and kicked Guang Hong in front of him.

Leo may have been bored with this story but JJ was not.  He was captivated by the embarrassed hand Otabek ran through his hair, the slight dusting of pink on his cheeks, almost tortured by the way he bit his lip for a moment somewhere in the middle of the story, and finally his pleading eyes cast towards Mila.

“And the best part is, the teachers got in on it,” Mila said. “One time the science teacher called us all in and we were so confused.”

“Mila, that’s probably enough,” Otabek said flicking his pencil up and down between his fingers.

“No, I’m not done,” Mila said over him. “Let me do this story justice! So, anyway, and she looks all serious. Seriously mad. And she was like ‘you guys have been caught for plagiarism.’ And she gave us this huge lecture and we had to write a paper about why it was bad to plagiarize and we were so confused. It was wild.”

“Wait, you guys actually plagiarized?” Leo asked, now apparently interested.

“No, it was part of the prank war.”

“Damn,” Leo grinned, though partly behind his hand, as if he can’t believe he was this amused. “So basically, the teachers won.”

“Ehhhhhh.” Mila made a so-so gesture with her hand.

“That gives me life,” Phichit laughed gleefully.

“ _You bring my heart to life yeah_ ,” JJ started humming, not really sure why that had popped into his head, but then then everyone turned to look at him so he can’t stop:

“ _You light me up inside_

_Like the 4th of July_

_Whenever you're around_

_I always seem to smile_

_And people ask me how_

_Well you're the reason why_

_I'm dancing in the mirror n' singing in the shower_

_La-la-di, la-la-da, la-la-daaa (hey)~_ ”

Some classmates sent him smiles, and a few even clapped (maybe sarcastically but still). He sent them smiles and winks across the room.

(A few classmates also just rolled their eyes and some looked confused, but JJ disregarded them. Some people just didn't understand art.)

“Thanks, JJ,” Mila says drily.

“You’re welcome,” JJ said sincerely.

“Man, I wish someone would serenade me,” Phichit said.

“Phichit, no!” Mila cried, leaping from her seat to cover JJ’s mouth, though JJ tried to keep singing through her fingers.

They got a strict warning from Mr. Feltsman. (He loved Mila, he would never give her detention.) JJ wasn’t so confident about his own safety in the class so he tried to tone it down. Even if he was best friends with the teacher who ran detention … he had better things to do than sit around after school for a few hours.

Everyone pretended to do homework for a few minutes, but then Leo actually raised a question, and everyone actually worked together to try to figure it out.

JJ kept staring at Otabek, though. It was way more fun.

***

JJ tried to stop singing the song (by singing other songs). It was kind of embarrassing. It was a really adorable sugary sweet song and one he hadn't heard in so long. But it was so… accurate? Sometimes it would finally leave his head. But then Otabek would send him a smile, sometimes amused, sometimes eerily knowing, and JJ would melt all over again.

JJ liked sleep like any normal teenager. But lately he absolutely loved going to sleep because he could think, dream, imagine, anything he wanted with Otabek. It was a time when his thoughts could roam wild  undeterred by things like “reality” that were kind of hard to escape at school. He could. But he didn’t want to admit to being that far gone… Traveling the world with Otabek? The best kind of dream. But completely ridiculous.

Another reason why he liked sleep was recently he was getting less off it because  he was texting Otabek. Totally worth it. But he needed his beauty sleep.

Speaking of… His phone buzzed (he refused to leave it on silent in case this very scenario happened) and all his hopes and prayers were answered when he saw it was Otaek.  Well, most of them. He still wanted to sweep the VMAs and Grammys every year for the his entire career. It was coming, he could feel it.

Otabek: What do you think of this?

JJ clicked the youtube link. It was a remix of a bunch of songs from 2014, and he heard Shower sprinkled throughout it.

JJ: omfg i love it!!!!!!!!!! I have had shower stuck in my head all day and this just makes is better. Or worse. Not sure.

Otabek: Thanks. I’m glad you like it.

JJ: wait u made it???????

Otabek: Yeah.

JJ: omg my heart?????? Its so beautiful im going to listen to this on repeat omgg

Otabek: Thanks man [thumbs up emoji]

JJ couldn’t entirely bring himself to hate himself because his love was pure but it might be a little pathetic how much he  loved that stupid little thumbs up. Otabek made it seem so special. He was surprised but insanely excited to see another text from Otabek.

Otabek: How was your day?

JJ: better now that i have heard this!!! Amazing!!!

Otabek: Perhaps an exaggeration, but thanks anyway. 

JJ: it’s true!!!!!! U r such a genius!!!! Can’t believe our school was blessed with u. R u going to DJ for dances????

Otabek: I’m thinking about it.

JJ: you should!!!! And make them pay you

Otabek: They probably wouldn’t pay me.

JJ: they should!!!!!!!! You are amazing!!! Avici who ????? chainsmokers who ????? marshmellow who ????

Otabek: You’re too kind.

JJ: it’s not being kind if its the truth ;)

Otabek:  [thumbs up emoji]

Otabek: It’s getting kind of late. I should probably get to bed.

JJ: trueeeeee. Sleep well!

Otabek: It was nice talking to you.

JJ: it was nice talking to you too <3 perfect way to end the day

Otabek:  [thumbs up emoji] [thumbs up emoji] [thumbs up emoji]

Otabek: night

JJ: [sparking heart emoji][growing hearts][two hearts][sparking heart emoji][growing hearts][two hearts]

JJ: good night!!!

JJ couldn’t help the song playing on repeat in his head… especially after this.

 _Think of you when I'm going to bed_ _  
_ _When I wake up think of you again_ _  
_ _You are my homie, lover and friend_   
Exactly why….

He wished. He wished so badly. (And what was worse, with the song stuck in his head, he definitely wasn’t getting to sleep any time soon ….)

***

JJ hummed the remix as he stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder at the end of class. He noticed Otabek staring at him throughout class which he responded to by winking. Each time he also ignored his stuttering heart.

He turned around and gasped because Otabek was right there behind him without warning. “What’s up?” he squeaked.

Otabek took a step back, maybe realizing how close they were. “It’s Christophe’s birthday this weekend right?” Otabek asked.

“It sure is!” JJ grinned. “Party at my house! Are you coming?”

“Yeah, sure. I know Christophe might already have a playlist, but I can also bring one, if he wants.” Otabek looked somewhere to the side.

“Yeah, that would be awesome!”

Otabek finally looked at him. “He won’t care?”

JJ shrugged. “Probably not. I’ll ask him.”

“Cool.”

Otabek gave him a small smile, and JJ thought about it for the rest of the day.

The memory was still sustaining him at lunch. He caught Yuri glaring at him from practically halfway across the cafeteria as he made his way towards their usual table.

“Everyone run!” Yuri said extremely loudly. No one moved a muscle. JJ put on a victorious smile. Yuri glared like he wanted JJ to die.

“You wound me,” JJ said genuinely, with a dramatic sigh, as he sat down next to Otabek, who was eating a salad quietly (without talking, that is. There was some audible crunching).

“Die!” Yuri snapped.

“Yuri, seriously, can you grow up,” Mila sighed. “Everyone is tired of it.”

“Want me to join you in a nursing home?” Yuri said snootily.

“It’s fine,” JJ said, and Mila raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, instead of responding to Yuri (which might in itself have been immature). He was pleased to notice that Otabek looked up, too.

“Don’t encourage him,” Mila warned.

“JJ is the biggest enabler,” Otabek said, and JJ grinned like it was the biggest compliment too.

“He is,” Sara agreed.

“Yeah, and good thing, too,” JJ said. “Who got you two together?”

Sara’s and Mila’s jaws dropped. “JJ, that’s not true!” Sara said.

“You can’t just keep saying that,” Mila cried.

“You know it’s true,” JJ waggled his eyes smugly, biting into a chicken nugget.

“You can’t say that when it’s completely untrue!” Mila looked genuinely frustrated.

“Whatever,” JJ said. He turned back to Yuri. “And anyway,  whenever you tell me to die or whatever, I just hear, “JJ, I am glad we are friends, you enrich my life, and make me a better person—”

“Alright, that’s a little too much,” Otabek said. JJ gave him an exaggeratedly shocked look.

“Otabek!” he gasped, his hand over his heart. “How could you betray me like this?”

“There is a lot of betrayal going on today,” Yuri said pointedly, glaring at Otabek. Otabek seemed to ignore him and kept munching on his salad.

“So many lies today,” Mila muttered.

JJ had nothing to say to that, so he just shrugged and kept eating his lunch.

“So much drama,” Sara said.

“Our lives are just so dramatic,” Mila agreed.

“But we stick together,” Otabek said.

JJ just looked at him fondly.

“Aww,” Mila said, “that was so heartfelt!”

JJ knew he shouldn't … but he did. “ _And when the times get rough_ _  
_ _There ain't no giving up~”_

“And he ruined it,” Mila sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

“ _Cause it just feels so right_   
(Singing in the shower)~”   
  
“Okay, JJ? You’re not a liar, huh?” Mila said, slamming her fist on the table.

“You bring my heart to life~” He stopped abruptly. Huh?” JJ

“Then prove it. That you dance in the mirror and sing in the shower.”

“Mila, wait,” Otabek said, looking quite ruffled, and JJ would love to spend more time dissecting that, if he wasn’t on the hot seat right now. Not even just a hot seat. Boiling lava.

“You aren’t thinking this through,” Otabek said. “He will stop—

“Yeah, gross, we are all right here, specifically your girlfriend,” Yuri, said, gesturing to Sara, who was looking a mix between amused and concerned. (So basically confused.)

Mila looked at Sara. “Sara gets me.”

“I mean,” Sara said slowly, and scrunching her face into an exaggerated thinking expression. “ I get you, but sometimes, I wonder about you, too.”

“Close enough,” Mila said triumphantly. “Thanks, babe.” She sent what could only be described as a dopey look to her girlfriend.  She turned to JJ with a much more lethal expression. “So?”

“What?” JJ asked tentatively. “If you don’t dance and sing in the shower, then you are a liar,” Mila said.

“I am not a liar,” JJ said, because he wasn’t.

“Okay, then. When I ask Otabek if he received snapchat proof from you, he better say yes,” Mila said. She turned a vaguely threatening smile between JJ and Otabek.

“That’s literally my Snapchat story every day, though,” JJ said.

“Not for a while,” Sara said.

“Why go through Otabek? Why not just watch my Snap story yourself?”

“She would rather die,” Yuri said.

“Thanks, dude,” Mila said.

“Wait, what?” JJ asked, shocked. “You don’t watch my story?”

“I mean, I guess I have to today, to make sure you aren’t a liar,” Mila said airily.

He could just say yes even if I didn’t send them,” JJ said, just to stall. He had no qualms about this. He did this all the time. So why was Mila’s challenge making him so afraid? He glanced at Otabek, trying to see if he was still as uncomfortable as before.“Well, this should be fun,” Emil said.

“Literally no one cares,” Yuri said.

“Well, yeah, but it can still be fun,” Emil shrugged.

Mila stared straight into JJ’s eyes. “This better be good.”

JJ grinned, hoping it wasn’t as wobbly as he felt.

“Of course. It will be perfection.”

He went uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the meal.

****

JJ was an artist. He liked to appreciate pretty things. He wasn’t sure what the purpose of life would be without that. Empty and meaningless, for sure.

But Otabek was more than just pretty??  

And now he was in trouble because he was basically filming a confession and maybe he could have made it bigger and grander (he had images of like making a shoutout in the morning announcements or making the newspaper kids put something on their website or storming the stage at prom or graduation though he did not want to wait that long which was also a new development because before he thought he would die taking this to the grave because he thought he was flirting so obviously and Otabek was probably just fine with it because they were friends which was great because Otabek’s circle of friends was tiny at least Otabek’s circle of friends that JJ also knew. It was expanding now. Probably thanks to him. (Okay, no thanks to him but he was there while it was happening.) Mila and Yuri were inner circle for sure. He just wasn't sure where he stood. And by that he meant he wished he was in the inner circle (made it sound like a mob or mafia… That was definitely Otabek’s other friends.. But Otabek was so cool that he was part of two gangs?) Side note, he also considered making an entire music video because that would be cute as fuck.

Because he did like Otabek. A lot. Probably all love songs would apply to Otabek now, but it just so happened this particular cute one was stuck in his head. And it was really adorable. But now because he couldn't keep it in his pants or his mouth or his brain or whatever… He just hoped he wasn’t crossing the line. He just hoped Otabek took it as the joke that it was.

Unless Otabek…

But no. Otabek would never like him back.

He put his phone on silent. He didn’t want to deal with this today. He shouldn't have done this. Why did he always have to jump into things? What he had with Otabek was fine. Now he might not even have that.

He wanted this day to be over but he didn’t want to face tomorrow. He watched youtube videos without taking in a single detail. If he wanted to wallow, he was going to let himself wallow. It was all he could do right now.

***

JJ really had the song stuck in his head, but  now, it was twinged with a little (a lot) of pain. He heard snippets of the remix in his head which was even worse honestly.

JJ was not used to not staring at Otabek during class. But today, he could not stand to look at the beautiful boy. His heart couldn’t take it right now. He didn't think he would be so shaken. He could handle rejection. He was strong. Just because he hadn't really handled it before didn’t mean—

When class ended, Otabek stood by JJ’s table with his backpack slung over one shoulder. JJ looked up at him warily.

“Hey,” he said.

They made their way out. They didn’t have their next class together, and normally that would make him sad, but today, he was grateful for they break, because they would be right back together for lunch. Maybe he should skip …

“So,” Otabek said, at the same time JJ said “See you later?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Otabek said.

JJ stood his ground, his heartbeat echoing faintly inside him. “No, wait, what?”

“It’s nothing,” Otabek said, infuriatingly.

“Okay,” JJ was about to say, because he did not have the energy to argue today, when they were both interrupted by a loud voice from down the hall.

“Hey, JJ!”

He recognized Chris’s voice before he saw him, mostly because before he could even turn towards the sound of his voice, Chris had slung an easy arm around JJ’s shoulders, and leaned down to kiss JJ on the cheek.

“Hey, Chris,” he said, not as cheerily as he would have been to see fellow party-planner extraordinaire, but not when Otabek looked between them with a wariness that JJ had never seen.

“So, about my party,” Chris said, squeezing JJ’s shoulders in the hug.

“Can we later?” JJ asked.

“It’s this weekend, there is no later,” Chris tutted.

“You guys have stuff to do,” Otabek said, backing away.

“Wait,” JJ said, and Otabek froze. “Chris!” JJ glanced at him (up at him really, those oh so significant two inches….), “Otabek has music to play. Is that ok?”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Chris blinked sweetly. “Anything for Otabek.”

JJ snorted. “It’s for you, drama queen.”

Chris flipped his hair. “Well, yeah.”

“Thanks. I’ll leave you two to it.” Otabek turned and walked away before JJ could say anything. Chris dragged him off to talk details, which JJ felt increasingly annoyed about.

“I’m planning this party, why don’t you just relax?”

“Was I interrupting something?”

“I mean. I don’t know. He was going to tell me something.”

“Can he just tell you later?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

JJ tried to get caught up in this planning. He needed to get over this, anyway. He texted Chris all throughout class and skipped his lunch period to hang out in Chris’ class to keep planning. Mila sent him a Snap that said “wya????” over a selfie of her, Yuri, and Otabek. JJ knew he should just click out of the picture as fast as he could but he spent the full ten seconds looking at Otabek and reminding himself that he was rejected. He tried to get swept up into as much party planning as possible.

***

The few days leading up to the party were torture. He and Otabek were awkward around each other. And it sucked.

JJ was ready for this party. He needed it. Of course, Otabek would be there, but there was a time and place to get drunk without Otabek’s presence and this was not the time ro place. It would come. He would need it. Maybe he and Chris could host something tomorrow or next weekend. They could discuss it. Maybe not today so Chris could enjoy his birthday party.

But also JJ really needed to get over this.

He threw on one of his favorite shirts, and immediately felt gross. But he forced himself to stick with it (because he objectively knew he looked good in it...even if he didn’t feel it). He did his hair, and put on cologne. He had to look good for—well, it was Chris’s birthday. He had to look good for Snap.

He let people in and they all started setting up. Christophe arrived and they took celebratory shots together.  JJ was glad Viktor swept Christophe away to talk to some other people because he wasn’t sure if Chris was going to ask if he was okay. He wasn’t. But this was a party and people needed him to be… him.

He tried to keep himself busy and not wonder when Otabek was getting here. There really wasn’t any harm. He had kept his unrequited crush a secret for so long. Maybe Otabek didn’t care and just thought it was awkward to address it. Maybe it was awkward. Otabek was so calm and cool and collected and stoic. He probably thought JJ’s over-the-top antics were dramatic (they were) and dumb (which made JJ sad). He never had to care about what others thought before. Or at least he thought enough people did like him that a few haters didn’t matter. And maybe they just hated because they didn’t understood. JJ was all about bridging gaps and making all kinds of new friends. And he didn't like to give up and conceded that some people just didn't want to be friends with him.

And it’s not like he and Otabek weren’t friends. They were.  And if that was what they were, that was still really amazing.

So what was the problem?

He avoided flashes of what even seemed like Otabek. He danced with people and felt literally nothing. He drank whenever Chris drank which was a lot. He was getting pretty drunk. He was at the point where he should stop even if Chris decided not to. But he also felt shitty and wanted to deal with it by feeling shitter.

“JJ.”

He thought he heard his name but he didn’t turn around because he couldn’t be sure.

He felt a hand on his arm. He looked down at it then up.

“Hi,” he said to Otabek.

“Hi,” Otabek said. “You have been avoiding me.”

“No I haven’t.”

“Yes you have.”

“Well you rejected me so I need to do this.”

Otabek looked back at him with wide eyes.

“What? I never rejected you. If anything, you rejected me.”

“I never rejected you! You never asked me anything!”

“I made that song for you. Because I like you.”

“You… like me?”

“You think I make remixes of songs people have stuck in their head for anyone?”

“Yeah?”

“No.”

“Well. I sang for you. On Snapchat!”

“I don’t have Snapchat.”

“You don’t have what now?”

“You sang for me?”

“I am always singing for you.”

Otabek’s eyes widened a little, and he looked at JJ in awe.

“So. Since we both like each other, can we date?”

“Okay,” JJ said. He threw himself at Otabek and hugged him.

“You need water.”

“Yeah,” JJ said softly. He let Otabek take him to the kitchen and grab a glass of water.

“Do you want some fresh air?” Otabek asked.

JJ stared into his cup. “I want to sleep, but I don’t want you to go.”

“I think you can drink your water and then lie down. I’ll wait with you until you fall asleep.”

“You can go to sleep too,” JJ said at the air over Otabek’s shoulder.

“I have to go home.”

“You could stay.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

JJ sighed. “Okay, fine, whatever.”

He marched upstairs to his room. He kicked off his shoes and took off his clothes before realizing Otabek was there. Otabek faced the wall. JJ sighed. There would be other times for Otabek to see him naked. This was not that time unfortunately. JJ got under the covers.

“Okay you can look now.”

“Are you wearing clothes?”

“You can’t see anything.”

Otabek turned around like he was ready to bolt at any  minute. Then he sat on the bed, equally like he was trying not to make an impression anywhere. It was too late though.

“So, you don’t have Snapchat?” JJ asked, hoping his voice wasn’t as slurred as his brain felt.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were going to confess to me over social media.”

“Where else would I have confessed?”

“In person.”

“Okay, fair.”

“I mean, I should have known, too, but you should have known that I hate social media.”

“Okay, I’ll send my correspondence through passenger pigeon from now on.”

“That’s still social media.”

“Okay, I'll come to your house in the middle of the night and sing lullabies to you then in private. Not social!”

“Perfect.”

“Wow, you are so creepy!”

“You are crepy for suggesting it.”

“You drive me crazy,” JJ whispered, staring at his eyes in the dark.

“Me too,” he almost heard Otabek whisper.

JJ was falling asleep before he realized. He could hear Otabek talking but he was too tired to respond. He hoped Otabek could hear his thoughts. He thought the felt Otabek’s fingers brush against  his own before he fell asleep.

***

JJ woke up slowly, savoring the warmth against his skin and the fluffiness of his pillow. Christophe’s birthday party. He should go clean that up. He did not want to at all. He stayed where he was, wondering if he was tired enough to go back to sleep.

Something else. Something else other than drinking a lot.

He couldn’t tell the difference between memories and dreams anymore. Did he and Otabek talk last night? Did Otabek come? He remembered avoiding anyone who even looked like him. He  sighed.

He was surprised to find his phone on the bedside table. Normally he would have to stumble upon his phone by luck as he was cleaning. So this was an even greater stroke of luck.

He started his social media routine—Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, then texts. He tried to keep an ear out for any stirring going on downstairs. Though, he didn’t want to embarrass anyone. They could see themselves out.

In between apps, he checked his missed calls. Christophe, Viktor, Christophe.

Otabek?

He checked his texts.

Otabek: hope you are ok.

JJ: hi. Good morning. I’m fine. Did you enjoy the party?

Otabek: yes. You?

JJ: it was okay.

JJ decided now was as good a time as any to get up. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and combed through his hair. He pulled on some comfy clothes and went downstairs to assess the damage. And…

It wasn’t that bad? Someone must have lent a helping hand last night. Or this morning. Whenever.

Otabek: do you want Starbucks?

JJ: always but why?

Otabek: I can bring you some. And donuts?

JJ: Timmie’s or die!! But yeah sure. [sparkling heart][sparkling heart][sparkling heart][sparkling heart]

JJ stared at the black screen of his phone, a little stunned, and wondered whether his memories were a little more real and a little less dream.

*****

At school, everything was different. In the hall, JJ hummed happily while holding Otabek’s hand, and swinging their hands between them.

“You really like this song, huh?” Otabek looked at him in amusement.

JJ grinned. “I really like you.”

Otabek grinned back, and put his other hand on JJ’s cheek and drew him to him. JJ smiled into the kiss. He didn’t think he could be happier.


End file.
